Tyson Fury will consider options instead of immediately demanding a rematch

Tyson Fury has refused to commit to exercising his rematch clause to fight Oleksandr Usyk later in 2024.

The 35-year-old sacrificed his WBC heavyweight title and undefeated status after losing by split decision at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he was nearly stopped in the ninth round. The fight instead went on the scorecards and Usyk, 37, became the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Fury and Usyk agreed to fight twice in 2024, but after insisting – before leaving the ring – that he had won and wanted a rematch in the fall, Fury insisted when from his post-fight press conference that he would consider his options. instead.

“I just fought; I just got out,” he said. “I don’t want to think about a boxing match. I’ve been in camp for seven months, don’t forget. Cut; back to camp; back to camp. It was what it was. I’m here to get paid, get laid, go home.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do, and then we’ll get together and talk about it.” If there’s going to be another fight soon – in October or whenever – we’ll rock Sally.

“I’m going to take a vacation, regroup, talk to my wife (Paris) and (seven) kids and see what I want to do. I don’t box because I don’t have money. I do boxing because I love it. I’ll be 36 in a few months and I’ve been boxing since I was a kid.

“Where does this all end? Do you have 100 fights, brain damage and a wheelchair? I am not sure. But the only thing is, I still love the game – I had fun in it; I really had fun – so I’ll keep doing it. When I can’t do this anymore, I will.

“We just had an argument. If you see my face, I’m pretty depressed, and so is he, so we’re going to go home, eat a little, drink a few beers, spend time with family, walk the dog, go to the dump, and me and Frank (Warren, his co-promoter) will talk about what’s going to happen in the future.

Before leaving the ring and shortly after the final bell, Fury had suggested that Usyk may have benefited from a kind decision from judges who sympathized with the fact that Russia had invaded Usyk’s country, l ‘Ukraine.

“It doesn’t depend on the fighters,” Fury replied when asked if he still felt that way. “One of the judges made me win; two did not. It was what it was. I can’t really say much about it.

“We fought well for the fans.

“I always say it’s about getting paid and getting laid. We did it. I thank Oleksandr for the good fight. It was a close fight. I think – I thought – that I did enough, but I’m not a judge. I can’t judge a fight while I’m boxing it.

“If they had told me in the last round, ‘You’re losing, go try to finish him off,’ I would have done it, but everyone around thought we were ahead. All I thought was I had to do was keep boxing and doing what I was doing.

“It was what it was. I’m not going to cry over spilled milk. I had a lot of victories and I gave glory to God – I had this one loss, a close fight, with a good man like Usyk, and that’s how I did my best in that.

“I was having a lot of fun, actually. I don’t know if it looked like it, but I was playing; hands behind me. I took advantage of it. He’s a good fighter, Oleksandr, and I was catching him and he was catching me and it was a good fight. I hope you enjoyed getting punched in the face as much as I did.

“The first six rounds he may have won one of the rounds and then going forward I believe I won a few of the later ones as well. Let’s say I won five of the first six – the next six I won a few as well It was close – I don’t know. I tried my best and it was like that. One of the judges failed me. actually won and the other two didn’t, so I can’t complain about that.

“Let me tell you that I am very happy. In my mind, I did my best and I thought I won the fight, but that’s how it was. I’m happy with the performance. Both men have been paid and both are going home to their lovely wives and children, and that’s what it’s all about. We put on a show for the fans. Usyk is 37 years old; I am (almost) 36 years old. We are no longer young children. We are at the end of our careers and we are fighting brilliant battles, so I am proud of myself. In that ninth round, I was hurt and got up. This is what the GK (Gypsy King, Fury’s nickname) does. I’m just grateful that both of them made it out of the ring in one piece, and we move on to the next one.

“I knew he was a good boxer before I started. It didn’t surprise me. We were prepared. We were perfectly prepared. We had a long training camp. I believe I was the best I could have been. I don’t think I could have done better. Maybe if they had told me, “You’re down,” I could have gone out and tried to attack him in the last two rounds and tried to get him out of there myself. Other than that, I did my best.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. (In a potential rematch) I think I would just do a little more of the same, keeping my defense tighter – a little more focused – and not messing around too much, because I was having fun in it. I was playing; I hit him in the body; I was hitting uppercuts to the head. I thought I was leading the fight. I hit him on both sides of his body. Crack, Crack.

Fury’s trainer Sugarhill Steward, who was recruited by Fury ahead of his 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder, was later asked about the damaging ninth round in which his fighter was nearly stopped.

“When it happened in the ninth round, Tyson obviously went through a lot; he’s a smart fighter – he’s supposed to do what he’s supposed to do,” the American coach said. “Protect yourself; slip; dip; catch. Whatever you need to do.

“It’s part of boxing. This should always be in the game plan when you find yourself in a situation like this.